AI-powered signals reduce travel time by 20-33% across three road sections: Bengaluru Traffic Police

Out of the 165 junctions, Bengaluru traffic police installed adaptive signals at 60 so far.

AI-powered signals have reduced travel time by 20-33 percent across three road sections in the city, according to Bengaluru Traffic Police.

Bengaluru Traffic Police said that the Adaptive Traffic Control System is helping streamline traffic flow and reduce delays.

"Bengaluru ATCS project, initiated in May 2024, involves upgrading 136 existing junctions and installing 29 new ones, covering a total of 165 traffic signals. So far, 60 junctions have been upgraded in key areas such as Basavanagudi, Jayanagar, JP Nagar, and Hudson Circle. Work at remaining junctions will be completed by January 2025,” said Bengaluru city police commissioner B Dayananda

On the KR Road corridor, which has four traffic signals (Medical College Circle, Shivashankara Circle, VV Puram, and National College Junction), travel time has decreased by 20 percent. Hudson Circle section, which has five signals (Police Corner, Halasuru Gate, Hudson Circle, NR Square, and Town Hall), has seen a 33 percent reduction in travel time. In Jayanagar (New Diagonal Road, 36th Cross Junction, 40th Cross Junction), travel time has decreased by 20 percent.

Also, read: AI-powered traffic signal system to ease traffic congestion rolled out in Bengaluru, covering 200 junctions

Joint commissioner of police (traffic) MN Anucheth said, “Preliminary results show significant reductions in travel times along major corridors such as KR Road, where manual traffic management has been replaced with vehicle-actuated and adaptive signal control. This change has not only reduced congestion but also decreased overall travel times for commuters.”

"The advantages of Adaptive Control are: signal timings are optimised to reduce unnecessary waiting times. With less than 4 percent manual operation, there is minimal dependency on traffic police on the ground. Emergency vehicles receive priority through automatic detection, causing less disruption to other road users" he added.

All BATCS signals are monitored and controlled from a central control center, which gives commuters more certainty about travel times," Anucheth added, noting that "90 percent of the time, ATCS remains operational, even during peak hours." He said they will extend this to an additional 400 junctions in a phased manner after completing the first phase by January 2025.

How it works 

“This project utilises C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing)’s indigenously developed CoSiCoSt ATCS application, tailored specifically to manage India’s heterogeneous and often unpredictable traffic conditions,” said Dayananda.

This system is different from the recently launched Japanese MODERATO (Management of Origin-Destination-Related Adaptation for Traffic Optimisation) technology. The Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) is implementing this project at 28 junctions on Bengaluru’s MG Road, Hosur Road, and Old Madras Road. The MODERATO system is based on an origin-destination method of signal control that requires extensive data on traffic patterns.

Also, read: Can Japanese tech ease Bengaluru’s notorious traffic snarls?

Officials said ATCS dynamically adjusts signal timings based on real-time traffic density using inputs from camera sensors at junction approaches, ensuring optimal traffic flow and minimising delays, resulting in smoother travel experiences for commuters.

The ATCS also provides centralised monitoring of traffic signals from a control room, allowing quicker responses to changing traffic conditions and easier adjustments to signal timings. Signals along major corridors are synchronised to create ‘green waves,’ enabling vehicles to move with fewer stops, reducing travel time and improving fuel efficiency.

“The system incorporates a feature for emergency vehicle priority and can be adapted for pedestrian and public transport needs in the future. In cases of accidents or incidents, predefined plans are analysed at critical junctions using simulation models, allowing the system to quickly respond,” Anucheth added.

Anucheth said they have also launched ‘E-Path,’ a mobile application, to guide ambulances through less congested routes and ensure high priority at traffic signals during emergencies.

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